Benignus of Dijon

Saint Benignus of Dijon is venerated as the first herald of Christianity in Dijon, Burgundy, in the days when the Roman city was known as Divio. Ancient tradition, preserved in later accounts, remembers him as a missionary priest who came from the East—sometimes said to be a native of Smyrna—and who journeyed through Gaul preaching Christ with courage and working signs that strengthened the faithful. Other memories place him more simply among the early evangelizers connected with Lyon, whose witness reached the region of Dijon. However his origins are told, the heart of his story is his martyrdom. Arrested near Dijon at Épagny during a time of persecution, Benignus refused to sacrifice to idols or deny the Lord. After harsh tortures, he was put to death, sealing his preaching with blood. His tomb became a place of devotion, and in time a basilica and then a great church rose above it; his shrine endures in the cathedral crypt of Dijon. He is honored as patron of Dijon. His feast day is November 1.